Jefferson County Cattlemen to host event for beef producers

FAIRFIELD — The Jefferson County Cattlemen will host a meeting for beef producers on Friday, July 16, featuring guest speakers who will share their insights on marketing and the future of the beef industry.

The Jefferson County Cattlemen’s Producer Value Meeting will be held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Fairfield. The event kicks off at 2 p.m. with a trade show and the opening of registration. Beef quality assurance training begins at 3 p.m., and the main program featuring presentations and speakers is from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

A meal will be served at 6 p.m., which is free for Jefferson County Cattlemen members. RSVPs are encouraged, and are due Sunday, July 11, by texting Shelby at 515-478-0048 with the number of people attending. Those under 18 eat free.

The cattlemen will be selling raffle tickets, too. Prizes include: Lawson Youth Model .22 bolt action courtesy of John Dahl; a gun courtesy of Julio Logli; and Green Mountain Wood Pellet Grill courtesy of Hometown Sears.

The evening will feature three guest speakers. Zach Tindall, vice president of Producers Commodities and a commodity broker for Producers Livestock, will discuss hedging, financing and marketing services offered by Producers Livestock.

Scott Yager, chief environmental counsel for National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, will talk about environmental regulation during the Biden Administration and the rise of carbon markets.

The keynote speaker will be Trent Loos, a Nebraska farmer and longtime advocate for agriculture. Loos has been recognized as the “voice of Rural America.”

Zoe Moritz of the Jefferson County Cattlemen said this is the first time the cattlemen have put on an event like this, and that the board is doing this because the organization couldn’t hold its annual banquet in January due to the pandemic.

“This is something we’ve always wanted to try, but it’s never been brought to fruition,” Moritz said.

Moritz said several members of the Jefferson County Cattlemen board listen to Loos on a daily basis, and they were thrilled he agreed to be the keynote speaker at this event.